Time: A Gelert's Tale - Part One

     The Gelert looked no older than twenty five, less than a decade older than his two eldest "nieces".

     In truth, he was not their Uncle. He was at least one hundred years older than his current family. If anything, he was their great great grandfather.

     It is not clear exactly when he became the way he was, it is only clear how.

     The family once lived near the Haunted Woods. It held ties to the Lost Desert and Mystery Island as well. They were travelers in search for a better way of life. Fate brought them together in the dark woods.

     One night, a fire broke loose, and the family's village was burning down faster than lightning.

     The Gelert ran out of the house as fast as he could. He had no time to search for others.

     By the time he exited his house, it was too late. Only his younger sister and oldest brother had managed to escape, and their whereabouts he was unsure of.

     Everyone else in the town was lost to the fire.

     He wandered the woods, lost and confused. The Neopet stayed hidden amongst the trees for many years by himself. He survived off of what little vegetation the woods would provide him.

     It was a typical night when it happened. The woods were dark, pale and dreary. The dark mist would cover any shadows unless they were close. The Gelert was an adult now, he was wiser, and he could handle himself.

     But little did he know, there was a shadow lurking amongst the woods that night. An evil, dark creature; Neyra was her name, a dark faerie wretch with cruel eyes and a smile that would chill anyone to the bone.

     As he was gathering his dinner, he heard a twig snap. The Gelert jolted up abruptly and turned his head around, but saw nothing other than trees and moss.

     There was little time left for him to be out and about safely, so he hurried on his way back to his own personal living space.

     It definitely was not a mansion, but instead a cave with trunks of trees stacked upon each other guarding the front of it to make it appear more like a fort.

     His eyes were used to the darkness of the forest now, and he did not ever have a fire lit, even on the coldest of nights.

     What he found in his cave that night was not at all what he expected. An enormous and terrible shadow with wings and bright red eyes roared a mighty roar in the Gelert's face.

     The blackness of the creature's tail began to grow, almost like a cloud, and engulfed him.

***

     When the Gelert woke, he found the dark faerie standing over him, smiling maliciously and staring right into the core of his very being.

     "I can help you." Her voice echoed in the forest like a whisper and gnawed into his ears like poison.

     "What do you want from me?" His voice was harsh as he remembered how to speak. His eyebrows were knitted and his eyes were stern as he tried to hide the pain that had been afflicted upon him by the shadow.

     "I want you." She kneeled at his side and did not break eye contact. Her gaze was intoxicating and dangerous. "You need to become more like me," she said as if he knew what she was talking about.

     "No." He remembered how anger felt, and fear. "Get away from me!" He tried to get up, but failed as he discovered the sharp pain in his side. He lifted his garment to reveal a large black marking that resembled a Gremble. He made a noise of shock when he saw it. What was this?

     "You are helpless here, child." Her voice carried through the air softly as she moved to meet her eyes with his. He tried to look away, to move, but there was nothing that could be done.

     Their eyes met as she placed two hands on his cheeks and gazed endlessly into them. "I gnirb nopu ouy na latormmi efil." The incantation echoed through the air and a bright red light filled all that could be seen.

     Then suddenly everything went dark.

     He awoke once again in front of the cave, but this time he was standing on his feet and he felt better than ever. The Gelert looked down at his hands, searching for any sign of change. The only thing that he did notice was that he was a shade paler than usual. He quickly remembered the strange marking he found on his side and fumbled with his shirt to search for it. There was nothing there. How strange...

     As the day continued, he discovered a terrible thirst that began to overwhelm him. He hurriedly searched for water only to stumble upon a familiar pond. He cupped his hands as he dipped them until the silvery grey liquid before bring them to his lips. It did not quench his thirst. He drank more and more and more and he still felt thirsty. Why?

     The Gelert leaned in deeper towards the pond. It was foggy, but the closer he came to it the more clearly he could see his reflection. His eyes widened when he saw how the whites of his eyes were gone and replaced with a deep ruby red. Terror filled him. What happened to his eyes?! He opened his mouth to gasp only to cover it in horror at the sight of two large, sharp fangs that looked as if they could tear anything apart. He didn't know what to do. That faerie... She must have placed a curse upon him.

     It was then that he decided that he had to find the faerie. The Gelert said goodbye to the swampy and dark forest that he had called home for so long and set out on a search for her.

     He searched day and night for months, but he could not find her. Neyra was not one to allow herself to be found. In order to find Neyra, she had to find you.

***

     It had already been a year by now, and he was almost ready to give up his search. The Gelert fashioned himself a hooded robe to hide his eyes and wrapped a dark scarf over his mouth and neck to hide his large fangs. While searching for Neyra, he found a grim looking but ironically lively town nearby and decided after much internal debating that it was time for him to ask for help.

     As he walked through the town, people stared at him suspiciously, and it was clear that they were frightened. Strangers weren't welcome around here. A young red Acara hid behind a door, peaking through the mail slot both curious and terrified. The Gelert felt her gaze upon him. It made him feel like a freak.

     He entered a tavern quietly. All the eyes inside shifted to him temporarily and then continued with whatever they were previously occupied with. The Gelert approached the counter cautiously as if he expected somebody to stop him. Two Aishas greeted him with a smile, although their cheeriness was not sincere. "What can I get for you today, sir?" one of the sisters asked with her elbow resting on the wooden counter.

     "Cup of borovan, please." His eyes shifted around, searching for something, but what it was he was not sure. Being in a place like this made him feel paranoid.

     "Alright, sir. Take a sit, yeah?" The Aisha motioned toward a stool before turning around and preparing his drink. He knew that the drink would not satisfy him. That thirst... that awful feeling was still bearing over him. Was there any way to rid of it?

     When the Aisha returned with the steaming hot mug, the Gelert looked up at her timidly. An idea passed through his head, and it was a long shot. Maybe she could help him. "Excuse me, miss." The Aisha turned around and approached him again. He caught her off guard with that one. He didn't really seem like the talkative type.

     "Yes?" The Aisha crossed her arms and looked curiously at him.

     He fumbled with the words in his head. "Have you ever heard of a place called Nestoria?" He hoped that her answer was yes. This was his last hope.

     The Aisha's fake smile fell clean from her face and she glanced around carefully. "The haunted lost city." She leaned in close and whispered with wide eyes. "We do not speak its name."

     He was relieved that she had heard of it, but not really sure if he wanted to hear what she had to say next. This new title shocked him. Haunted? He could not believe it. The Gelert pulled his hood up farther as he leaned in close in an attempt to hide his eyes. "What do you know of this place?"

     The Aisha gulped to moisten her drying mouth. Nestoria was a dreadful place, and she had learned that first hand. "It was lost to the world many years ago in a terrible fire. A monstrous shadow Draik swooped down and set fire to the town in the dead of night. The village fool had entered the Draik's lair earlier that day and defiled it with graffiti and slander to the Draik's name. The Draik wanted revenge on the people for allowing the fool to do such a thing, so he punished all the people of the village that night by destroying them. The Draik's minion, a Gremble named Wraith, searched the town that night to find that four of the villagers had escaped."

     'Four?' the Gelert thought. 'There were only three of us...'

     "He returned to the Draik and told him what had happened. Furious, the Draik searched all the surrounding cities and towns for the villagers. It is said that he never found them villagers, and that they still roam the forests of the Haunted Woods to this day. One night each month, the villagers that had fallen in the fire awaken and walk the town in spirit and in mourning." The Aisha felt a chill go up her spine as she finished the tall tale. Although she knew that there was some truth to this tale, she would never admit it to herself. Such things should not be true.

     The Gelert looked down at the counter and nodded stiffly as he took all that in. It could be true, but he could not trust urban legends to give him fact. "Thank you; you've been a lot of help. Err, your name..?"

     For some reason, she felt that she could trust this Gelert with her name despite the fact that he was a stranger and asking about something terrible. "Marleena. My name is Marleena. And yours?"

     "Thank you, Marleena, but that's none of your concern. I better be on my way." He stood up and walked away from the counter.

     "Hey! That's not fair. And you have to pay for this!" the Aisha shouted towards him, but it was too late. He was already gone. She sighed and crossed her arms on the counter. What a strange Gelert.

To be continued...